


Journey On

by laurus_nobilis



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7241779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurus_nobilis/pseuds/laurus_nobilis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ling acts very silly during the trip back to Xing. Lan Fan thinks this isn't right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Journey On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taotrooper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotrooper/gifts).



"And then we ended up eating one of his boots!"

"You already told that story six times," Mei muttered. It was audible even through Ling's laughter, which meant she wasn't making the slightest effort to keep her voice quiet.

In any other circumstances, making a comment like that within Lan Fan's earshot would have at the very least started an argument. But even Lan Fan herself was getting tired by now, which was saying something. Of course, she would never admit such a thing out loud. All she did was pretend she hadn't heard anything, and move stubbornly onwards. There was a long journey ahead of them, and even someone as energetic as Ling Yao had to stop talking _eventually_. She was confident that, in time, he would get bored of the sound of his own voice.

He didn't.

For hours and hours, he went on repeating stories, telling bad jokes, even singing at times. It felt as if he only stopped talking when he was eating - and they had to make their food last long enough to cross the desert, so that didn't happen very often. Only when they set down camp for the night did he finally stop. They were taking turns with the guards, so letting the others rest was important. Although Mei managed to fall asleep very quickly, hugging Xiao Mei like some kind of toy, Lan Fan wasn't so fortunate. There was too much to think about.

After a while, she gave up and left the small tent. Ling was sitting in front of the fire, and didn't turn to look at her when he spoke.

"It's not your turn yet, Lan Fan. Go back to sleep."

"I can't," she replied. She sat down next to him, trying not to think too much about how this familiarity would have to end soon. They still had this journey ahead of them. After that... well, she would worry about that later.

"Oh? Do you need a bedtime story? Maybe I could sing you a lullaby--"

"Please, young master," she interrupted. "You don't need to pretend."

At first, he looked shocked, and Lan Fan worried that she might have overstepped her limits after all. But then his smile changed. It became less forced, and yet sadder at the same time. He turned to face the fire again. For a few moments, neither of them said anything.

"My head is too silent," he said at last. "I'm still not used to it."

Lan Fan didn't reply to that. What was there to say? She couldn't even imagine what it must have been like, having a homunculus in one's mind. She certainly couldn't imagine _missing_ it. But then, she thought, in the end Greed had been something like a friend to Ling.

"I'm sorry."

She started out of her thoughts, surprised.

"Young master?"

"I couldn't protect Fu." He still stared at the fire instead of looking at her, and Lan Fan couldn't blame him. In fact, she almost preferred it this way. "But I should have. I'm sorry."

"We both knew this was a risk," she said, very softly. "We came with you to protect you. Not the other way around."

"I know. I just needed to say that."

That was far more reasonable than what Lan Fan had expected to hear. She only realized she was staring when Ling did, after all, turn back to look at her with a small grin.

"I've learned a lot, you know. I know it's impossible to protect _everyone_ ," he admitted. "But I still have to try. I have to care. If not, what kind of ruler would I be?"

_You are going to be sad all your life_ , she almost wanted to say. But she didn't.

"You will be a great emperor," she told him instead, and he smiled.


End file.
